


I Burgie...Danny

by IZKitty



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Drug Use, F/M, Heartbreak, I Burgie Burgie AU, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Shotgunning, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-12
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-04-26 00:24:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4982668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IZKitty/pseuds/IZKitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why, of all the students in all of your classes, did you have to be paired up with the most insubordinate and emotional punk of them all?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Project

Another school day was winding down, and you were finally sitting in your last class, your head bowed at your desk as you took notes while the teacher droned on about thermodynamics. Being the smartest person in your science class wasn't exactly difficult, especially when the rest of the students surrounding you were either too thick to get half of the information thrown at them, or simply didn't care about their education.

One particular student in the latter category was sitting directly behind you, clad in a leather jacket and matching black jeans and T-shirt. His leather boots rested comfortably on his desk as he leaned far back in his chair, arms laced behind his head and fingers tangled in his wild mane of hair. You couldn't see it, but his chocolate brown eyes rolled for what was possibly the tenth time that hour, a heavy application of guy-liner framed under each lid.

"All right, before I let you guys go today, I have a project that you'll be working on for the duration of the long weekend," the teacher announced, getting a collective groan of annoyance from mostly everyone in the class, the loudest coming from the punk sitting behind you. In spite of their frustration, you perked up, pencil in hand and ready to take down the important aspects of the assignment. "You have to come up with an alternative source of energy, and explain how it can be used to help light a home. And no bringing in a light bulb and saying it lights your house just fine." At this, the teacher gave a hard glare to the scoffing punk with the crazy hair. "Since this project is a bit tough to finish in three days, I'll let you pair up to make the assignment easier."

Immediately, your stomach lurched, and you took a few quick glances around the room. No one in that class could be considered someone you'd want to work with, much less a friend. Since you were considered the 'nerdy' kid, it naturally led to your social circle being a bit small. Not that you minded much, it just gave you more time to focus on schoolwork and aim toward your goal of getting into a respectable college once you graduated. Sure, you were only a freshman in high school, but there was no harm in starting early.

Once the teacher gave the green light, chairs skidded against tile as students rushed to find suitable partners for the project. Surely, you thought, someone would at least see your potential and pick you by your smarts alone. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. You sat and stared as everyone seemed to find another person they were content with, all except for...

"Well, it seems everyone's paired up except for Leigh and [y/n], so it looks like you two will be working together." Oh, no...she couldn't be serious. There had to be someone - _anyone_ else that you could do this with. Of all the students in the class, he was by far the laziest, with a track record of never turning in his homework and constantly showing up late for class. More than once, he had been threatened with warnings of tarnishing his grades beyond repair, which would cause him to be held back...again.

As you mentally debated on getting out of this match made in Hell, it seemed that Leigh was content to do that for you. A snort of bored amusement left him before he retorted, "First off, my name is Dan. Second, I don't work with anyone...she can do the stupid project by herself."

You visibly saw the teacher's jaw clench in annoyance, her hands finding their way to her hips as she stared Leigh down. "That doesn't seem very fair to [y/n]. I'm sorry, but you'll have to suck it up and do the project together. Who knows? Maybe she'll help you get a good grade for once." While she probably had a point, her wording seemed a bit harsh, even for a punk like him.

Leigh, however, was unfazed. "I said I'm not doing the fucking homework!" he shouted, which got a gasp from the class.

"Principal's office, NOW!" the teacher barked, pointing to the door. With a huff and a mumbled 'whatever,' Leigh slowly stood and sauntered out of the class, flipping the teacher off for good measure as she continued to scream at him down the hall. You couldn't do much more than sit and stare at the commotion, groaning and putting your face in your hands. This was going to be one Hell of a weekend.

~~~

Shortly after class was over, you sat back and waited while the rest of the students practically fought each other on their way out of the room and towards the sweet air of freedom. Once they had finally dispersed, you rose from your seat, timidly approaching the teacher's desk with your hand firmly clutching the strap of your shoulder bag. "U-Uh, Mrs. Miller?" you said softly, causing your teacher to snap her head up in your direction.

"Yes, [y/n]? What can I do for you?" she asked kindly. She had always seemed welcoming to you, as you were one of the few students that actually did all of the work, even going above and beyond in labs and science projects alike.

Twisting the strap in your fingers, you looked at her desperately as you asked, "I-Is it possible just to do this by myself? I promise I can handle the extra work, I don't have much homework this weekend." Hoping she would see your plight in spending even one afternoon with Leigh, you were disappointed when she shook her head at your question.

"I'm sorry, [y/n], but that wouldn't be fair to the rest of the class. They had to partner up, so you do, too." She sighed as she set her pen down by the papers she was grading. "Tell you what...if you do end up doing all the work between you two, just come to me after class and tell me. You'll get an A regardless, and Leigh will fail all on his own." You weren't sure if you liked that proposition. She was practically putting the future of another student in your hands. Plus, it didn't really solve the main problem that you had come across. Yes, the sheer idea of failing caused you to nearly have a heart attack, but it was the thought of going to his home, seeing the family that had caused him to become this way, that truly terrified you. And there was no way he was going to your house, not with his reckless behavior topped with language that would make a grown man blush.

With a hopeless nod, you stepped out of the classroom and towards your locker, grabbing up the books you would need for the days ahead. Just as you were about to leave, a large hand forcefully slapped the locker directly next to yours, causing you to jump in terror and nearly drop everything you were holding. Glancing upward, you saw Leigh looming above you, a scowl etched across his face.

"Thanks to you, I got detention," he growled, and you gave him a bemused look before realizing that he was trying to blame you for his outburst in class. With no other alternative than to face this head on, you matched his frown with one of your own, standing to your full height to jab a finger towards his chest.

"Hey pal, I didn't ask you to whine like a baby when the teacher partnered us up. Do you honestly think I'm ecstatic about this?" When your wording was met with a blank stare, you huffed and rolled your eyes dramatically. "'Ecstatic' means 'happy'...Idiot..."

"I know what it means!" he lied, crossing his arms and leaning against the locker closest to him. "So, I guess we have to do this stupid project...meaning you'll do it and I'll watch. Easiest A I've ever gotten." Leigh gave you a hint of a smirk before it dropped back down to his usual 'teen angst' grimace.

You scoffed and rested your hands on your hips. "Guess again, smart ass. If you blow this off and leave me with all the work, I'll tell Mrs. Miller, and she'll give me the A and you a big fat F."

Leigh stared at you, as if to determine whether or not you were kidding. Finally, he scoffed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, whatever. I hate that class anyway."

That wasn't the answer that you had expected, surprisingly enough. It was amazing just how little this guy cared about never graduating. He had to be about seventeen now, given how much he had been held back. It was a miracle he had made it this far, when in actuality, he could have been a senior and almost out of school for good. But it seemed appearances were everything to him, and the whole 'not caring about anything' attitude had easily raised his status to one of the coolest kids in school. But what good was that when he had no future to look forward to?

"We're gonna do this together," you found yourself saying, which got a rise of a scarred eyebrow from Leigh.

"I already told you I don't care-" he began, boredom lacing his voice, but you swiftly cut him off.

"But I do. More than I should, but if I have a chance at getting you at least one good grade in that class, I'm willing to try and help you." Leigh gave you a stare as if you were crazy, but he quickly recovered, shrugging dismissively at you.

"Whatever. Come to my place at four tomorrow. But you're wasting your time, you're better off doing this shit alone," he said dully, turning and walking towards the front of the school. Sighing irritably, you sprinted after him to remind him that you needed his address.

~~~

As you approached Leigh’s house the next day, you were surprised to find that it was actually a pretty high class place, not the run-down shack you had expected it to be. It gave you a mild sense of ease when you walked up the front step and rang the doorbell, standing back as the door swung open. A woman with long black hair greeted you, giving you a quizzical look. “Can I help you?” she asked.

Sensing that Leigh hadn’t informed anyone to your arrival, you cleared your throat and replied, “Hello, my name is [y/n]. I’m here to help Leigh with a project for school.”

The woman’s expression quickly brightened, and she smiled as she ushered you inside. “Oh, then please come in! Dan didn’t tell us he was expecting company, so I’m sorry if that sounded rude.” Okay, so clearly Leigh...or Dan, wasn’t acting out because of trouble at home. That was a good sign, in your case anyway, and you relaxed as you stepped into the house.

“My name is Suzy, by the way. And this is my husband, Arin.” She pointed to a man sitting on the couch, his long brown hair accented with a bright blonde streak on one side, which matched with Suzy’s. At the mention of his name, Arin looked up and smiled at you, standing to shake your hand in greeting.

“Nice to meet you. Are you one of Dan’s friends?” he asked as you met his firm, but gentle handshake.

“Sort of,” you said softly, and Arin immediately nodded his head as if he understood.

At that moment, Dan appeared in the doorway of the living room, resting his hands on the beam above his head. “Let’s get this over with,” he said with a frown, nodding once towards the place he had just come from. You slowly approached him and followed him to his bedroom, looking back once at Arin, Suzy, and...was that a sentient burger sitting on the armchair?

Before you could wrap your head around what you had just seen, Dan shut the door and flopped down on his bed. “Don’t give Burgie much thought, I sure as Hell don’t,” he said dismissively. You merely shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed, taking your science book out of your bag and opening it to the chapter the teacher had currently lectured on.

“Okay, so...alternative sources of energy…” You began, but Dan cut you off with a snort.

“Save your breath, I’m not listening.” He sighed and leaned back on the pillows, closing his eyes slowly. Was he really going to sleep while you were working? Not wishing to put up with his attitude any longer, you swiftly stood and gave him a hard smack to the forehead. Dan yelped and quickly sat up, rubbing the place where had you had hit him. “Are you fucking insane?!” he shouted.

Sitting back down on the bed, you opened the book as if nothing had happened. “No, you’re just annoying,” you replied curtly, and he pouted with his arms crossed across his chest. “As I was saying, there’s a lot of different things we can turn to for an alternative source of energy. I was thinking something simple, like lighting a light bulb with a potato.”

Dan gave you another scoff, rolling his eyes at your suggestion. “I tried that shit in the seventh grade with a clock, it didn’t work,” he muttered.

You glanced up at him, tapping your chin in thought. “Is it possible you didn’t wire it correctly?” you asked.

“I skipped that and just taped a watch to a potato, it got me an F,” he replied with a bored wave of his hand.

You stared at him incredulously, rubbing the bridge of your nose as you tried with all your might not to explain to him exactly why a ‘project’ like that would get anybody an F. “It wouldn’t kill you to try just once, you know. No one’s here to judge you if you decide to actually give a shit about your education.”

At that, Dan averted his eyes from you, fiddling with the blanket that covered his bed. “What makes you think I care about what other people think of me?” he asked quietly. He actually looked...vulnerable for once, and it threw you off, but only for a moment.

“I think it’s possibly the only thing you do care about, Lei-Dan,” you said in response. His head whipped back up to look at you at the correction to his preferred name. “You act like showing just the smallest amount of concern for anything will break this facade that you’ve built for yourself, so the only solution is to move through your life with an upturned nose and complete disregard for everything and everyone around you.” His face flushed, telling you that you had hit the nail on the head.

“I just...want people to think I’m too cool for school, I guess,” he admitted softly.

“Well, with the way you’re going, you’re gonna be stuck in that school for a long time. Now, you can either continue to bitch and moan until you’re expelled, or actually do something about it. Did it ever once occur to you that if you actually did any work at all, you wouldn’t have to put up with it again after this year?” Dan gave a defeated shrug in response, urging you to keep the conversation going. “I’m willing to help you, Dan. But only if you swear not to be the ass-tastic douchebag you portray yourself as in the halls. Does that sound fair?”

He nodded once, allowing you to continue with the project idea. As you went over your notes and skimmed through the textbook for data, Dan kept to his side of the bargain by listening intently. He even surprised you by asking for a notebook to write on, taking diligent notes as you lectured, and asking you to repeat things that he had missed.

After a few hours of studying, you stretched and stood from the edge of the bed. “I think we’re good for now. Maybe tomorrow, I can get my hands on the supplies to make a potato light bulb.”

Dan stood as well, shyly handing the dark blue notebook he had borrowed back to you. Smiling at him, you pushed it back into his hands. “Keep it, it was a new one I never used, anyway. Not gonna lie, I sort of expected you to just draw dicks all over it while I was talking,” you giggled. Surprisingly to you, Dan chuckled at your joke, running a nervous hand through his hair.

“Hey, [y/n]...thanks for giving me that kick in the ass. I kind of deserved it,” he said with a smirk. Unable to help yourself, your face flushed bright pink in response. He was actually pretty handsome when he smiled.

“Any time,” you replied softly. Taking note of your sudden flustered attitude, Dan’s grin widened a bit as he took a careful step closer to you.

“You know...If I’m really gonna start pulling my grades up this year, I might need a good tutor,” he said, raising a suggestive eyebrow at you as your blush deepened. “I’m failing everything, math, english...sex ed?”

At the last one, you pushed his shoulder playfully. “Jesus, do you ever shut off the sass?” you asked with a laugh.

“Obviously, we’ve just met. Hi, I’m Dan,” he replied sarcastically, holding out his hand in a mocking handshake gesture. You both laughed again as you exited his room, getting both Suzy and Arin’s attention.

“Hey, you two. What’s so darn funny?” Arin asked.

You looked up to see that Dan had reverted back to ‘angst’ mode, and you held back a sigh of defeat. This was going to take a while, but you were willing to help him through this phase. “Nothing, Jesus...mind your own business,” he scoffed.

Stepping in to clear the tension, you quickly added, “We were joking about our science project. We’re making a potato lamp.”

Suddenly, the burger in the armchair started to angrily shake, and you moved back in fear, clutching onto Dan’s arm. “SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS ARE POTATOES!” it screamed as it trembled with fury.

“Holy shit, is that thing okay?” you asked Dan, but he ignored you as Arin and Suzy laughed.

There was a long, silent pause, with Arin giving a cocky “Uh-oh!” right before it. As everyone stood or sat in place awkwardly while the burger fumed, you looked at everyone in succession.

“...Seriously, is he gonna be okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...my thirst for angsty Dan in the I Burgie Burgie commercials is soooo fucking real. If enough of you Lovelies enjoy this, I might write a second part. :3c
> 
> \---  
>  **EDIT:**
> 
> Wow, you guys ate this up like it was a tasty burger! (Don't tell Burgie about that, by the way...) I may just have to write a second part to this venture...possibly with the tutoring between the star-crossed lovers? :3 If you have any more ideas, hit me up in the comments!~


	2. You Want Me to Do WHAT?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Dan's grades so far in the ground, it's gonna take a lot of hard work to help him pull them up in time. Danny, however, has other...recreational plans in mind.

After the...interesting weekend you had spent at Danny’s home, the two of you had made a rather impressive project together with the potato lamp idea. Mrs. Miller was almost certain that you had done everything yourself, despite constant reassurance from you that Dan had done his part. He had even put together a slideshow in PowerPoint with the notes he had written down, surprising even yourself. Sure, it was only a few slides, but it was clear that he truly wished to try on this, even if he hadn’t said much during the presentation, opting instead to cross his arms and mumble out a couple of facts. Still, the two of you had earned that A.

While the project had been a success, you were honestly unsure about the whole “tutoring Dan” thing that had been brought up. On one hand, it could really help him pull up his grades, and any chance to help him, you would take. On the other...Okay, no getting around it, it seemed like he was just trying to get _alone_ time with you. And his constant innuendos while he chatted with you in the hallways didn’t help, never failing to get an eyeroll out of you in response, along with a distinct pink tint to your cheeks.

“Does everything have to be a joke to you?” you huffed as you shoved a few books into your locker, Danny watching you with a casual shoulder leaned on the wall and a wide grin on his face.

He gave a small shrug, the smirk never faltering as you gave him your usual ‘no nonsense’ stare. “Hey, it’s who I am, baby. Take it or leave it,” he chuckled, shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket as he walked with you towards the entrance of the school. “So, given any thought into that tutoring this weekend?”

A moment of pause followed his question, until you broke it with a soft sigh. “Look, I wanna help you, Dan. But you have to promise me you’ll take it seriously.” You were starting to sound more like his mother and less like his peer, and honestly, it scared you a bit. It didn’t help that he was still older than you, despite being in the same grade.

Danny held his hands up in mock defense. “Okay, I swear. No fucking around, I’ll listen to anything you say.” You stopped just outside of the school grounds, looking up into his black-rimmed eyes, trying to find any hint of sarcasm. When you were met with sincerity, you finally nodded.

“All right, I’ll be over your house later. And please tell your parents about it this time, they nearly kicked me off of their porch when I went over last week.” You thought back to your first encounter with the Hansons, or rather, Suzy and Arin, because ‘last names were for old farts’ as Arin had put it.

At your comment, Dan let out a snort. “Please, they’re too nice for that.” There was the typical ‘teen angst’ scowl you had grown accustomed to, as if the sheer thought of kindness left a bad taste in his mouth. “But I’ll give them a heads up, if only so they won’t bug us.”

“Thank you,” you said with a smile, patting Danny’s arm before turning and walking home alone. Before you left him, however, you couldn’t help but notice the faintest hint of a blush on his cheek at your sudden touch. Shrugging it off, you headed for your house to grab some supplies. The last thing you needed on your muddled mind was romance, especially with someone as hard headed as him.

~~~

“[y/n]! It’s so good to see you again!” You were caught in a strong hug as Suzy wrapped her arms around you the moment she opened the door, leading you inside to the comfort of the living room. “Dan’s in his room, I’m sure you know where it is by now.” She shot you a wink and a wry smile, and you felt a familiar heat creeping up your neck.

“T-thanks,” you mumbled, eager to get to the safety of Dan’s room as soon as possible. It wasn’t like Arin and Suzy were bad people, far from it. It was just that they had a way about...assuming things. More than once while working on your science project, both of them had dropped many hints about how much Danny liked having you around, and while there was no malice behind it, it was still a bit uncomfortable.

“Is that potato-hater back? Tell her to hit the bricks, she ain’t welcome here!!” That was the other reason why you felt weird in this house; the burger that seemed to make its own home on the nearby recliner. You briefly remembered Dan calling it “Burgie,” but cute as it seemed, the thing creeped you out, and it didn’t help that it hated your guts.

Arin, who had been on the couch watching this go on, gave Burgie a stern fatherly look. “Now, Burgie, that’s no way to talk to a guest,” he scolded, his voice taking on a tone that could only be described as sitcom-y.

Before more shouting from the burger could commence, you waved your hands and backed off towards Danny’s room. “I-It’s fine, I’ll just be with Dan for the day,” you said quickly, jumping a bit when you accidentally ran into the door...though, it seemed a bit too soft to be a door…

Looking up, your face flushed as you realized you had bumped straight into Dan’s chest, and he stared down at you, his expression blank. “It’s about time you got here. We’ll be in my room, don’t bother us." He scoffed the latter statement towards his parents, wrapping his arm around your shoulder before leading you into the sanctuary that was his bedroom. Once the door was closed, he shot you a small smirk. “I was starting to worry that you wouldn’t show at all, what with Burgie getting on your case so hard last time,” he chuckled, removing his arm from you and walking over to his bed.

“Hey, it’s gonna take more than some dead cow meat to scare me,” you joked, trying not to let on just how terrified you were of a damn sandwich. Dropping the subject, you sat down with him, spreading your notes and a couple of textbooks out on the sheets. “So...what should we start with?”

Danny gave you a cunning smirk, and immediately, your heart dropped into your stomach. Without a word, he reached into his bedside drawer, moving a few things around before pulling out a small latched wooden box. “How about this?” he asked as he unlocked the chest, showing you the contents inside. You didn’t want to believe it, but how could you deny it with the image he was trying to make for himself? A few dark green buds, along with a lighter and what you assumed were rolled joints, littered the bottom of the box.

“...You cannot be serious,” you finally muttered, reaching to hurriedly pack up your things. A gentle touch to your arm stopped you, and you whipped your head around to stare directly into Dan’s eyes. “You invited me over here to do...that?!” you whispered, trying not to gain any attention from the party outside. After all, it was clear that this was a big secret that he was trying to keep from his family, and while you were opposing, you weren’t going to out his drug usage to them.

“No! Well...yes, but...I just think maybe you need to chill out a bit,” he said with a smile, but you refused to smile back. There was no way you were going to smoke that with him, and your face displayed your resentment clearly, because he soon took to begging. “Come on, you never wondered what it feels like? I promise, no one but us will know. You only have to do it once, and then I’ll never ask again.” He seemed so desperate, and his expression so trustworthy.

There was a tense silence, with Dan still pleading with his eyes. Those chocolate brown eyes, you could get lost in them...You snapped back to reality, giving it another moment of thought before sighing and nodding. “Fine, just this once. But I swear to God, if my parents find out…”

“They won’t, I promise. This won’t leave the room.” He crossed his heart for emphasis, and you couldn’t help but giggle at his childish act. He then picked up one of the pre-rolled joints gingerly in his fingers, his other hand reaching for the blue and purple lighter. His thumb sparked the flint, and he held the joint to his lips and took a slow drag, holding the smoke in his lungs before exhaling effortlessly. “You’ve honestly never done this before?” You slowly shook your head, and Dan smirked as he handed you the still-smoking joint. “Drag it like you’re taking a deep breath, but don’t do it too hard or fast, or it’ll hurt your throat. Then hold it as long as you can and let it go.”

With a shaking hand, you gently took the joint from him, your other hand waiting for the lighter, but Dan simply urged you on. “It’s lit, believe me,” he said simply, and you shrugged before holding it to your lips, trying your best to follow his directions. As soon as you inhaled, however, the harsh smoke caught you off guard, and you quickly exhaled everything in a hacking cough. Over your choking, you could hear Danny laughing, and you glared up at him with watery eyes.

“Very funny, laugh at the girl who doesn’t know shit about smoking weed,” you said gruffly, your voice still recovering from the minor coughing fit. You shoved the joint back in his hand, careful not to burn him, before moving to stand from the bed and collect your things once more. “That’s all this was, right? Pretend to be my friend, then bully me and treat me like crap just like everyone else.” Your words were dry and seemed to cut deep, because they immediately stopped Dan’s laughter.

“Woah, wait... [y/n] I didn’t mean to…” he began softly, reaching out for you.

You shrugged off his hand, cutting off his apology. “No, this was a waste of time, I can see that now. I don’t know what I was thinking. You’re just like all the other popular kids, kicking me down because I’m the nerd, the square, the one that’s okay to pick on because she’s book smart and doesn’t know any better.” You could feel tears forming in the corners of your eyes, but this time, it wasn’t from the smoke, and you turned away from Dan. It was bad enough that you had gone off on him, the last thing you wanted was for him to see you cry.

As you walked towards the door, you heard the bedsprings squeak softly as Danny stood up to stop you. His arm gently grabbed your shoulder, and you immediately froze, your hand on the doorknob. “[y/n], please...I’m sorry for laughing, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. Please don’t go.” Your heart throbbed at those words, and you slowly turned to meet Dan’s broken gaze. That foreign trace of vulnerability was back, and you could tell it pained him to know he had nearly driven you away. He then smiled warmly and added, “I have an idea. Come back over here, I’ll show you something.”

Without another word, you allowed him to lead you to the bed, sitting with him as he picked up the joint again. “Okay, this is gonna seem...different, but I think you’ll like it,” he said with a smirk. “Just be ready to inhale when I get close, okay?” Confused, you nodded once, watching as he brought the joint to his lips, sparking it back to life. He took a long inhale before lowering his hand, gesturing for you to move a bit closer. You inched forward, about to ask what he was doing before he suddenly moved his mouth closer to yours. Remembering his instruction, you inhaled slowly as he drew inches from your face, gently exhaling the smoke into your lungs. You held it there for a moment, the secondhand smoke much easier to manage, before you let it all out in a calm exhale.

Once the smoke had dissipated, you looked up at Danny with wide eyes. “What on earth was that?” you asked breathlessly, still a bit flustered from just how close his lips had been from yours.

Dan chuckled in response, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “It’s called shotgunning. Perfect for first time users like you,” he said with a grin. You sat in silence for a while, contemplating asking him what you were thinking. He seemed to read your thoughts, however, because he let out another low rumble of laughter before adding, “Wanna do it again?”

It was embarrassing how quickly you nodded in agreement, and Danny smirked at your excitement before taking another drag and miming for you to move close. You let the smoke pass between your lips, thinking about just how easy it would be to push just a bit closer, to press his mouth perfectly against yours…

You realized you had held onto the smoke too long, and let it out quickly as a cough tickled the back of your throat. In your haste, you accidentally blew the smoke directly into Dan’s face. “Sorry,” you muttered as you tried to catch your breath, but he simply shrugged it off with a somewhat lazy smile.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m just glad you decided to stick around,” he admitted softly, and you noticed that his arm was still hanging protectively around your shoulders. Feeling brave, you relaxed in his embrace, reaching up to take the joint from his hand. You tried taking a first hand hit once more, and found it surprisingly easier than the last time, holding it before allowing a cloud of smoke to escape your lips.

“I’m glad I did, too,” you replied after a moment, your brain starting to feel a bit foggy, as if someone had stuffed it with cotton. You felt a gentle press against the top of your head, and you looked up to see Dan smiling down at you. “Did you just kiss me?” you giggled.

Danny smiled back at you, his lopsided grin making your stomach turn backflips. “What if I did?” he asked with a chuckle, his tone offering a challenge. You were sure that what you did next would have never happened if you were sober. Silently thanking your newfound courage, you leaned up and met his lips in a gentle, innocent kiss. As you pulled away, you looked up into his eyes, your grin rivaling the Cheshire Cat in both size and cockiness.

Still in a haze of shock and starting to feel his own buzz, Dan simply stared at you with wide eyes before his mouth curved into a wry smile. “I knew you couldn’t resist my bad boy charms,” he said with a laugh, and you groaned and playfully swatted at his side.

“Way to ruin the moment,” you said, unable to control your own giggling. Once the laughter died down a bit, Dan tilted your chin up and caught your lips in another quick kiss, lingering for just a moment before pulling away. “So...does this mean we’re a couple, or something?” you asked lazily, tracing patterns on his knee with your finger as you tried to piece together exactly what this meant in your weed-induced mind.

“Only if you want it to be,” he replied softly, smiling down at you. You glanced up into his dark brown eyes, the buzz only enhancing just how enticing it was to stare into them. After a beat, you smiled and kissed his cheek.

“I really do,” you confessed, cuddling closer to his side as the two of you simply sat and enjoyed each other’s company. As you relaxed in his arms, his fingers gently brushed through your [h/c] locks, and you hummed in content as you nearly drifted off to sleep. “You know...I heard you get hungry when you smoke weed, but I had no clue it would be this intense,” you said suddenly, and Dan laughed loudly in response. “I’m serious, I could eat a horse, I’m so famished.”

With a wink, Dan simply stood from the bed and opened the door, calling out to Suzy and Arin. “Hey mom and dad, can we order some pizza?”

You heard Arin reply in his usual sitcom-like voice. “Only if it’s…”

The entire family joined in as they all shouted, “BEEFY!”

Laughing to yourself, you shook your head as you laid back on the bed. This family was a crazy mess, but somehow, you were still glad to be a part of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hell yeah, next chapter lovelies!~ I hope you enjoy. God forbid I don't take full advantage of a weed-smoking Dan, amirite? :3c


	3. You Were The Only One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a few days since you and Dan became a 'couple,' and tensions are high when Danny's friends come back from their out-of-school suspension...

It had been a few days since your drug-induced confession to Dan, and while he had seemed thrilled that you had feelings for him, it was clear that he didn’t want people at school to catch on just yet. Whether it was nerves, or just the fear that his reputation as the “too cool for school” kid would dwindle, he never pulled any sort of public display of affection in the halls. Which, honestly, you were fine with. Your friend Brian had been worried about you ever since you had told him that you were doing the science project with Dan, the very project that had started this whole ordeal. Knowing that you and Danny were a blossoming couple would most likely panic him into full-on “big brother” mode.

“I just don’t get why you’re still spending time with that guy,” Brian pressed after English one day, the one class that you and he seemed to share in level of intelligence. “I’m telling you, [y/n], you should have just taken physics with me and avoided this completely.”

You rolled your eyes in response to Brian’s ‘simple’ solution, your face hidden behind your locker door so he wouldn’t see. “Oh, sure...and totally fail when I could just take the normal science class and get an A. You know I’m no good at that stuff, Brian. Not like you.”

“Well, I could have taught you…” he muttered. His voice raised back to its normal volume as he continued. “Besides, Leigh is a thug. If you keep this up, he’s gonna send you down a bad path.” You wanted to say something in Danny’s defense to prove Brian wrong, but you knew it would more or less just paint yourself into a corner, bringing forth another onslaught of worried comments from your friend about how you’re taking Dan’s side. Besides, what could you possibly conjure up to show that he wasn’t the punk people believed him to be? ‘He’s a good kisser.’ Oh, no. Brian didn’t need to hear that one. ‘He has a soft side.’ Was that really tangible with someone like Dan? ‘He and I got high and it was amazing.’ Okay, now you were just backing up Brian’s theory.

After much thought, you simply gave up and shook your head, letting a soft sigh pass your lips. “I can’t explain it, Brian. But Danny’s not as scary as a guy as he lets on. And I want to help him, he really needs it.” At least that was the truth. It was the whole reason why you had gotten yourself into this situation with him in the first place. Well, that, and the fact that the teacher had downright demanded you risk his own grade for yours. You pushed the last of your books into your locker before shutting it, the ones you needed for the weekend already nestled into your backpack.

“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Brian replied gruffly. You shot a small smile his way, and while he tried to hold his no-nonsense stare, he soon cracked and started to laugh. “Damn you and that smile of yours. How will I ever strike fear into the hearts of millions if I can’t even be serious with you?” he joked.

“Just tell them that you’ll start quizzing them on mathematical equations. That’ll send them running.” Another laugh was shared between the two of you before you turned to leave the school. As you were walking out, you looked to your side and stole a glance at Danny from your place on the school steps. He was standing under a nearby tree, talking to a couple of guys in leather jackets that you had honestly never seen around before. Were they graduates? Dropouts? You couldn’t be sure, but they seemed familiar…One had pink hair, you would think you’d remember someone like that walking around.

Brian looked over at where you were staring and rolled his eyes with a huff. “Looks like Mark and Barry are back from their suspension,” he murmured, and that’s when it clicked. Danny was always seen around with his gang, but no one had heard from the other members of the group since the incident in the art room, where two kids had allegedly broken in and drawn dicks all over the walls with poster paint and permanent markers. You guessed from that tale that his friends had been the culprits. You were pretty sure that Mark was the one with the pink hair, if you remembered right, meaning the other guy with the shorter brown hair and sunglasses was Barry. For a moment, you wondered if Danny would ever introduce you to them.

When Dan looked up from his conversation, he caught your eye, and you couldn’t help but smile and wave at him. He shot you a lopsided half-grin before shyly waving back, and you continued on your way with Brian, feeling your friend’s glare against the side of your head as he all-too obviously judged your every move.

As you walked away from the ragtag bunch, Barry followed Dan’s gaze to see just who had caught his attention. “Ooo, who’s that, Dan? You manage to find some tail while we were away?” he jabbed at his friend with a chuckle.

Danny whipped his head back to glare at Barry. “Dude, shut up. It’s not like that,” he snapped, which caused Barry and Mark to share a glance. Dan had never been this riled up to protect a girl before, which meant that they, of course, had to poke more fun at him.

“Looks like someone’s got a girlfriend,” Mark said in a singsong voice, laughing along with Barry as Dan’s expression grew more heated, his cheeks burning bright red. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you love this chick.”

“Wh...I do not!” Danny quickly interjected, trying to catch the loose threads of his street cred that were unraveling before his eyes. “I-I talked to her like, once, and she thinks we’re dating, or whatever. As if, am I right? But I like to keep her around. She’s a total nerd, but she’s got a rocking body.” The words he spoke made Dan’s gut twist, and he honestly didn’t like the feeling. But there was no way that his friends would let this go if they knew he had...feelings for anyone.

What Dan hadn’t realized was that, in your haste to leave with Brian, you had forgotten one of your books back in your locker. After a quick apology and a promise from Brian that he would wait by the walkway, you had backtracked to retrieve the novel you had forgotten. And luck was definitely not on Dan’s side, considering you had passed by just in time to hear him verbally berate you behind your back.

“Is that what you really think of me?” Your voice was soft and quiet, yet Danny jumped as if he had been screamed at, turning to stare at you with wide eyes and mouth agape. “I’m just arm candy to you, is that it? Just some dork to keep by your side if you need to cheat off a test or show how masculine you are?” Before Dan could say anything to right this matter, your hand came up and slapped him, hard, across his cheek. “Well, you can forget about our study session this weekend, or _ever_ again. I refuse to help you if you’re going to treat me like garbage, Leigh!” To add insult to injury, you shot a glance at his friends before adding icily, “And for the record, he was the one that asked me for help with his homework. I’m not as desperate for him as he likes to tell people.” The two men simply stared with shock etched on their faces, eyes darting between you and Dan, as if they were unsure whether or not to intervene.

You made the decision for them, however, by turning your back and walking away, despite Dan calling your name and begging for you to come back. It was met by deaf ears, and you entered the school and shut the door with as much force as you could muster. Only when it slammed behind you did you finally break down. Thankfully, the school was nearly deserted, so no one was there to witness your pathetic display as you sank to the floor and hugged your knees to your chest. Your eyes welled with tears and your breathing became irregular, and you mentally begged yourself to calm down over and over...but it didn’t stop. That is, until you heard someone open the door next to you.

Looking up, you saw the shadow of someone through your watery eyes and the light that shone on them. When they finally bent down and wrapped their arms around your curled up form, you immediately knew who had come to rescue you.

“Brian,” you choked out, hugging onto your friend as your body shook. “I’m sorry, I should have listened to you. Leigh is…”

“...Never going to speak to you again. I made sure of that.” You paused and met his gaze, confusion mixing with your sorrowful expression. “I knew those karate lessons would pay off someday.”

That made you pull back to really look at him, and it was like you were truly seeing him for the first time. He seemed scuffed up, and there was a small cut on his cheek, but otherwise, he was fine. “B-Brian, did you…?”

He only nodded in response, pulling you back into a comforting hug. “I heard what that asshole said, and I couldn’t stand to see you so upset. I had to do something. At least none of the teachers saw me.” A small smirk tugged at his lips before his solemn expression returned. “He hurt you, [y/n], and you’re my friend. I couldn’t let him get away with that.”

A long pause hung in the air after Brian finished his speech, and you broke it with a soft “Thank you.” He merely shushed you gently, holding onto you as you finally calmed down. “I think I’ll be all right,” you said quietly as you stood with him, and he kept close to you like a bodyguard as you went back to your locker to collect your missing book. Once it was safely in your backpack, he guided you to the door, and you stepped out into the open air with him by your side. Despite all that had happened, you stole a glance to the tree where you had first seen Dan, but he and his friends had left, and you felt a weight pushing down onto your heart. But why? Why, after all that he had said about you? After he pushed you to the brink of tears and caused your best friend to fight for your honor?

_Because he tried to apologize._

That thought crossed your mind before you immediately dismissed it. No. There was no way you’d forgive him for this, no matter what his excuse would be. You were done with Danny. And as you left the school grounds with Brian still protectively by your side, you tried to convince yourself of this again and again.

~~~

The one good thing about the whole falling out was that it had happened just before the weekend started, meaning you wouldn’t have to face Dan again for another few days. And saying that it was something you were still mentally unprepared for would be an understatement. You weren’t sure if he would cause another scene in the halls, or even in the class you shared with him. He wasn’t beyond acting like an ass, that he had made perfectly clear. But what would you even do? Would you ignore him? Brush him off just as easily as he had with you? Maybe you could just transfer up to a different science class, like Brian had suggested. But that would only prove to Danny that you were going out of your way to avoid him, and you were still uncertain as to whether or not that would be the right move.

You didn’t leave your room when you got home from school, despite Brian trying to convince you to stay at his place. You had spent the night there before, so you both knew it wouldn’t be an issue with his parents. But you told him you needed to be alone for a while, gather your thoughts and think about what your next course of action should be. One thing was for certain, you needed to collect yourself before even trying to approach Danny again.

As you sat on your bed with your head in your hands, contemplating just how much work it would be to transfer classes so late in the semester, you heard the sounds of muffled music coming from outside. Trying to block it out proved to be impossible, and finally, you slowly stood and approached your second story window. What met you outside shocked you.

Danny was standing in the yard, a guitar in his hands as he strummed the chords to a song you had honestly never heard before. To be fair, you had no idea he could even play. Unable to resist, you slowly slid the window open to hear him sing…

_You're kneeling down_  
_Even as you watch the tide_  
_Approach your home._  
_You breathe in,_  
_Trapped in a lions den again._  
_An undertow._

You felt oddly hypnotized by his melodic voice. You never realized he was so vocally talented.

_I'm barely holding on._  
_You were the only one, you were the only one._  
_Just barely holding on._  
_You were the only one, you were the only one._

A small gasp escaped you as you listened closely to the lyrics. Was this a song about...you?

_The slow dive_  
_Below the surface of the night_  
_Will overflow._  
_In moonlight,_  
_A flaming ember reignites,_  
_Then blows out cold._

You could feel tears stinging your eyes as he continued onto the chorus once more, but you brushed them away. You would not do this, not in front of him…

_I can't pretend it's not the end._  
_Lovers, then friends, strangers again._

Dan finished the song with one final chorus, and you found yourself gripping onto the window sill until your knuckles turned white. The song was just so beautifully heartbreaking, and after he was done, he shot you a sad smile. When his expression was met with silence, he nodded once, then turned to leave, as if he had meant the ending lyric and knew there was no getting you back. So this was...an apology song?

“Wait!” Your voice sounded strained and foreign as you called for him, and he turned to look at you, hope shining in his tired eyes. “Danny...you really hurt me,” you said softly.

His smile faltered a bit as he dropped the hand holding his guitar to his side, the other running through his hair. “I know, and I came here to apologize. That song wasn’t meant to woo you back into my arms, or anything. I fucked up, and I’m sorry. I just hope you can forgive me.”

You paused as you listened to his speech, your mind racing as the world stood still. “It’s gonna take some time,” you said after a beat, and he nodded again, showing that he understood.

“If I have to wait a million years, I will.” Those words shot right through your heart, and Danny must have known that they would, because he followed the statement with a genuine smile, the kind that only you had seen before. But this was different. While his expression showed patience and kindness, his eyes displayed his sorrow and guilt for causing this mess in the first place. Not to mention there was the large bruise that you had only now noticed under his left eye, the black and blue mark contrasting sharply against his pale cheek.

“Jesus, Brian really did a number on you, didn’t he?” you said with a smirk, and Danny hung his head and chuckled softly.

“Yeah, dude can throw a punch. He nearly broke my arm after you left. I mean, I deserved it, but the last thing I expected was for him to jump me. My so-called ‘friends’ bailed the moment he started doing this like, leg kick thing.” Well, at least he had learned his lesson about impressing the wrong people. Maybe that meant that he wouldn’t be hanging around Mark or Barry anytime soon. “Listen, I have to go, but I hope we can keep up with our study group next weekend. My parents were pretty bummed when you didn’t show today.”

Despite yourself, you let a small giggle pass your lips, and Danny’s grin widened a bit. After another long silence, you leaned forward through the window and shot him a smile of your own. “I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I need to hear. Take your time. Like I said, I’ll wait for you.” With that, he gave a quick wave, then turned to go. Only when he rounded the corner on your street and escaped from your sight did you finally close your window and go back to your bed, flopping down onto the mattress and burying your face into your pillow. Danny’s song still hung heavy on your mind, as well as in your heart, causing a new wave of emotions to push back up to the surface. You were still so unsure about everything, even with his heartfelt apology. What would Brian say if you went right back into Dan’s arms, after everything he had done to make sure that wouldn’t happen? Was this the right choice, or should you take everything Dan said to you with a grain of salt and keep thinking of ways to avoid him completely?

Whatever your choice would be, you knew one thing for sure; Danny would wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is such a downer...I take a million years to write a chapter, and smash the reader's heart into the ground. Eh, that's life, I guess. Next one won't be as sad, so don't you guys worry. And all credit of the song (Only One) goes to the band Skyhill. I love their music, and if you wanna support Dan and his buds, you should check them out. c:
> 
> *Also, just an fyi, Brian is to be seen simply as the reader's friend. I'm not gonna have them run into Brian's arms every time something goes wrong to the point where they're like, "Oh...this is who I was meant to be with!", he's more or less the big brother of the reader. No love interest was meant to be developed between them, nor is one going to be. Sorry!


	4. Bridges Built Up...Bridges Torn Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After some serious contemplation, you decide to forgive Dan, at least enough for your study lessons to start once more. Meanwhile, Brian continues to do what he feels is best for you, and a new face at school could be just what he needs in his plan to drive you and Danny apart for good...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Quick Note:** The 'Jack' referred to in this chapter is jacksepticeye, not Jack Walsh. Sorry if that's confusing, I would have just called him Sean, but other people just seem to call him "Jack" in other fics...Just think of that heartwarming, ear-splitting "TOP OF TH' MORNIN' TO YA, LADDIES" when you see that name, I suppose~

The next Monday at school was possibly one of the hardest you had ever faced before, for more than a few reasons. After a full weekend of contemplating, going over the scenarios again and again, you had finally made your decision.

“[y/n], you cannot possibly be serious!” Brian practically shouted at you when you told him your plans for that weekend.

“Brian, I appreciate what you did for me, I truly do. But...Danny and I need to talk this out amongst ourselves. And at the very least, I can’t just abandon him when he still needs so much help passing his classes.” That was the silver lining in all of this, the reason you kept pushing for the private tutoring. Dan was terrible at studying, and looked to you for constant advice and assistance. His grades had been improving ever since you had agreed to the weekend lessons, and it actually pained you to see all of that hard work get snatched away so easily. It wasn’t the most solid of excuses, but it worked for you.

For Brian, however, that was a different story. “Oh, like how he abandoned you the second his friends started teasing him? [y/n], you need to take a step back from this guy and realize he’s not worth fighting for.” It was a low blow, but you couldn’t really blame Brian for his words. He didn’t see the side of Dan you knew. The one who enjoyed cracking jokes with you between classes; the one that laughed to the point of breathlessness with you while reading otherwise dull literature because “The guy’s name is -Dick-ens!”; the one that had the voice of an angel, and the beauty of one to boot. It was no secret anymore, you were head over heels for the bad boy...and you honestly didn’t mind.

“I’m sorry, but my mind is made up,” you stated simply, shutting your locker to punctuate your decision. Brian could only sigh and shake his head, knowing how stubborn you could be in these situations.

“Fine. I’ll let you have your fun. But...would it be too much to ask if I join the next study session?” That one threw you off. You knew that your friend was merely looking out for you, but it seemed a bit strange that he would ask so suddenly. “I just wanna sit in and make sure he’s not mistreating you again. Please, [y/n], I want to look out for you, and this is the only way I know how.”

Thinking about it for a moment, you finally nodded in agreement. You weren’t certain if Dan would be thrilled, but he would more than likely just be happy to be with you again. “All right, I’ll tell Danny that it’s either you and me at his place next weekend, or no one at all. Does that sound fair?”

Brian gave a relieved sigh before nodding as well, happy that you were taking his side for once. “I promise, you won’t regret it.” He then waved and ran off to his science class before you could ask why he believed that anything in the scenario would be worth regretting. Shaking your head, you decided mentally that it was better not to know.

~~~

It was business as usual in science class, Mrs. Miller’s slow paced teachings a breeze to follow as you took notes, although you were only half listening to her lecture about the structures and functions of DNA. You could feel the chocolate brown eyes belonging to the person behind you practically piercing through your skull, and it took all of your willpower not to merely turn and talk to him about how you felt...or at least relay Brian’s plans for that weekend.

As the teacher turned her back to the class, you felt a tap on your shoulder, but before you could confront the source, a piece of folded up paper fell into your lap. Once you were sure you wouldn’t be spotted, you carefully opened it under the desk. Scrawled on the inside were the words, **Do you still wanna hang this weekend?** and the letters **Y** and **N** underneath. Sighing softly, you picked up your pen and wrote a hasty reply on the back: 

**We need to talk after class, but...maybe.**

Folding up the note, you passed it back to Dan, trying to hide your blush as you felt him hold your hand for a moment longer than necessary before taking it. Since you believed that the answer would satisfy him, another tap on your shoulder surprised you, and you grabbed for the second scrap of paper before Mrs. Miller could see. 

**Are you still mad?**

This message was accented with what looked like a stick figure of Danny, as it had a recognizable amount of curly hair, and it was drawn with a simplistic, teary-eyed frown. You couldn’t help but smile softly as you wrote your response: 

**No, but someone else is, I’m sure you can guess who. I’ll tell you the plan later.** You passed that back, heard Dan unfold it, and then listened as he uttered a quiet, “Fuck.” To which, you whispered back, “Try being friends with him.” It made you smirk in satisfaction when you heard his muffled snort of laughter, a couple of people glancing over before falling back to sleep or doodling in their notebooks, but you didn’t mind the stares. Slowly but surely, the bridge between you and Danny was being rebuilt.

After class, Dan followed you like a lost puppy to your locker, and he stepped in front of it before you could even touch the lock. He leaned back casually on the metal door, lifting his hands to prop them behind his head. “So what’s the deal, does Mr. Science Guy wanna battle me to the death for your affections, or what?” he asked jokingly, causing you to giggle in response.

“Close...he wants to join our study group this weekend,” you replied, and Danny paused before shrugging in indifference.

“Well, I guess I had to prove to your Dad at some point that I’m not just trying to get in your pants.” That got another laugh from both of you, and you honestly felt at ease that you could joke with him again. It was one of the many things that you had missed about him, along with his smile that could melt hearts, his cheeky attitude, and those lips…

The reason why that would all have to wait rounded the corner at that moment, and Brian waved to you before glaring up at Dan. “Hey, [y/n]! ...Leigh.” Your friend wrapped a protective arm around your shoulder, but you gently shrugged him off.

“Brian, if we’re gonna do this, you have to be nice,” you scolded. “He prefers Dan, and he said it’d be all right if we study together.”

“Oh, about that!” You raised a brow as Brian gave Danny a look of smug satisfaction. “You wouldn’t mind if my new friend tags along, would you?”

To this, Dan simply scoffed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “I don’t care, my parents are always bitching that I don’t make enough friends,” he mumbled, not exactly eager to chat with the guy who had beaten him so easily the week before.

You decided to speak up on his behalf. “‘New friend’? What new friend?” you asked.

“His name is Jack, I just met him a couple of days ago. He’s an exchange student from Ireland, but he’s having trouble in physics, so I said I’d give him a hand,” Brian explained. “I told him all about you, [y/n], and he thought you sounded cute and wanted to meet you. So, I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone!”

Suddenly, what Brian had said earlier about ‘not regretting anything’ started to make sense. Before you could accuse him of anything, however, Danny spoke up once more, his tone deadpan and icy. “Cool, I guess. [y/n] can show you guys where my place is, I’ll see you on Friday.” And with that, he turned on his heel and left, leaving you without even so much as a ‘goodbye.’

The moment Dan was out of earshot, you turned on Brian. “I know what you’re doing, and I don’t like it. Please don’t treat Danny this way…” It was so clear, you could see it in his eyes before he had walked away, his voice and body language saying it all.

Brian was trying to make Dan jealous. And it was working.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, [y/n],” Brian replied with a shrug, playing dumb to your accusations. “I don’t see what the big deal is about a guy thinking you’re attractive, and if Dan can’t accept that, he’s just a big baby.”

“I haven’t met this Jack kid yet, he doesn’t even know what I look like! You can’t just…” Pausing mid-rant, you sighed and ran a hand through your [h/c] hair. “Look...Promise me you won’t try to encourage Jack into asking me out or something during our study session this weekend,” you begged him, hoping with all your might that your friend would let up on Dan. His intentions were good, and you knew that, but this was sheer dirty play.

Holding his hands up in mock defense, Brian simply replied, “I won’t try anything, I swear.” The answer satisfied you, but as you walked away, you failed to hear him quietly add, “...But I can’t speak for Jack…”

~~~

Even though Brian had barely said two words about how the new kid was so eager to meet you, the damage had made itself seen the next day in your science class. It took a string of notes equal to the ones Dan had given you to even open him up enough to talk to you again. To you, it felt like Brian was purposefully regressing Danny back into his original lone wolf state, and you honestly didn’t like it. Which was why you were relieved when he finally sent a note back covered in crude drawings of dicks and bearing a message saying he wanted to hang out after class in the hall, ‘...if your Dad will allow it~’.

For the next few days, you and Dan savored the little time you had together after school, cracking jokes and sharing stories before you had to leave and meet Brian outside. If you were so much as a minute late, he would come in and practically drag you out into the courtyard, away from the “stupid punk” as Brian so lovingly put it when he thought you weren’t listening. 

Until one day, you had finally had enough. 

“Brian, stop it,” you stated firmly, tugging your arm from his grasp and standing your ground. “Would you look at yourself? You’re acting more like a parent than my friend. Can’t I be allowed to make my own mistakes? I want you to look out for me, but also to be supportive of the things I do and the people I connect with.”

“Look, [y/n]...in any other case, I would step back and let you do as you please. I just know that this decision is a bad one. If I didn’t know what this guy is capable of, I’d support you all the way. But he’s bad news, plain and simple. He’s the popular do-nothing punk, you’re the wallflower that passes all her classes. I know it’s cliche as hell to say, but...you guys just don’t connect, nor should you. He should go out with some class ditching goth chick with purple hair, and you…”

“...Should go out with someone like you?” Brian flushed as you finished his sentence, but you simply stared him down, crossing your arms over your chest. “Is that what this is about, Brian?”

After a long pause, he finally responded, “You should be going out with someone...safer. Not necessarily me, but somebody that can pull their own weight in school, and is actually going places, like you are. Do you really want Leigh to drag you down for the rest of your life?”

That one legitimately offended you. While Danny was practically the epitome of ‘problem child’, you had never once believed that he was holding you back from anything. Sure, there was the first project you two had done together and the initial threat of finishing it alone, but after a swift metaphorical kick in the rear, he had pulled his weight, considerably well to boot. Dan was hard to work with, you couldn’t argue with that. Hell, there were times when he’d go against even your word and set out on his own, simply by his anti-authoritative nature. But for the most part, he was also willing to learn and get better, and that’s why you wanted to believe in him so badly.

You clenched your fists in anger, something that Brian took notice to. “Look, Brian...you may not believe me when I tell you this, but...Dan’s not the kid you paint him as in your head. He’s actually kind of sweet when he wants to be, he laughs and jokes with me a lot and smiles more than you’d think. Yes, he can also be kind of childish...but that’s part of what makes him...him. I like Danny just as he is; the funny, caring, ass of a clown that I’d happily call my...my boyfriend. And if you don’t like that, don’t show up to the study group this weekend.”

There was another long, tense pause, until Brian finally sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry, [y/n]...” he muttered. Believing he was apologizing for his hostility, your expression softened, stepping forward to pull your friend into a forgiving hug. You would have taken it all back if you could read minds, however, because as you embraced he silently added, _...But this is for your own good._

~~~

“It’s just you? Where’s that nerdy friend of yours? Not that I care...” Once again, Danny was full-on sass mode as you entered his house, leaning against the door frame that led to his bedroom with his arms crossed over his chest. Suzy had let you in like always, and Arin was seated in his favorite spot on the couch, meaning Dan had to play up the role he was so fond of. You weren’t surprised, it never failed when he was anywhere within earshot of his parents.

“Now, Dan...That’s no way to talk to a friend,” Arin scolded, somehow still smiling despite his condescending tone. It was almost like he believed he was in a sitcom.

Danny simply scoffed and took you by the arm, making his way back to his room. “Ugh, whatever dad! Why don’t you go to work, or something…” he quipped back, and just before the door closed, you could see his father’s face heating up with anger.

“Jesus, he looked really mad…” you said softly, hearing Arin’s shout of rage even through the large wooden door. Dan, however, was unfazed, flopping down on his oversized bed with his arms behind his head.

“It’s fine, I’m sure Burgie will say something dumb and cheer him back up again.” As he said this, you made out a faint ‘BEEFY!!’ from the living room, followed by Arin’s hearty laughter, which sounded so canned you could have sworn it was from an audience track. “You never answered my question, though...I thought Brian and that new kid were gonna tag along with you.”

Shrugging in response, you sat on the edge of Dan’s bed, pulling your notebook out of your bag. “I talked to Brian after school. He said something about being late getting here, and he didn’t wanna hold me back. I gave him the address, though, so they’ll probably be here in a few minutes.” It had come as a shock that Brian was allowing any alone time between you and Danny at all. It wasn’t rocket science knowing that the tall punk would take any opportunity he could to hold you close...and take advantage of the lack of supervision.

As if to confirm your beliefs, Dan couldn’t help but smirk coyly at your explanation, leaning closer to press his shoulder against your own. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked, the tone of his voice a fraction deeper than it was before, which caused heat to rise to your cheeks. Chuckling to himself, he reached forward and gently cupped your chin in his hand, moving in as your eyes slowly closed-

“Danny! You have some more friends over!” Suzy’s sweet voice rang out from the other side of his bedroom door, scaring the two of you into literally jumping apart. There was a distinct red on his face as well, most likely from nearly being caught in the act. The second you had collected yourself, Suzy opened the door, revealing a smirking Brian and the boy you assumed to be Jack. The sheer sight of the new face slid everything into place for you, and you mentally screamed at Brian for playing childish games.

Jack had all the looks of a punk, from his shocking green hair to his band shirt and black jeans. It was inappropriate attire for... really any season in LA, to say the least. His eyes were a bright blue, and the beginning development of the scruff on his chin made him look older than he really was. It all made sense, he was the ‘bad boy’ type, but he was in Brian’s Physics class...meaning he had been recruited simply because he looked like Dan, but was actually “going places”.

You felt a hand squeeze your shoulder at that moment, and you looked up to see Dan’s eyes locked on Jack, with one of his arms wrapped around you almost as if to keep him next to you. His jaw was clenched in a way that was subtle, but enough to tell you that he was on the defensive. You felt another squeeze, this time on your heart. Did he really think that you would abandon him like that? Giving his knee a gentle pat, you tried to silently show that you were still on his side.

Suzy seemed unfazed by the sudden tension as she cheerily smiled at the new arrivals. “I’m so glad you two made it, Danny could use some more friends,” she stated, ushering them in before waving at the group. “Have fun, guys! Just call if you need us.”

Once the door was closed, Jack wasted no time jumping onto the bed, which Dan took immediate offense to. “Jesus, you’ve been here ten seconds and you’re already claiming my shit without asking?” he spat at the green-haired boy, who seemed surprised by the hostility.

“Sorry, bro...There’s just no chairs in here.” His accent was thick, but he was still easy to understand, and you had to admit that the lilt in his voice was rather enchanting. “Besides, th’ bed’s big enough for all four of us, right?”

“I would think so, given its perimeter and area,” Brian agreed, sitting down as well much to Dan’s disapproval. “Oh, sorry Dan...that means your bed is very large,” he added, his voice laced with sass as you glared at your so-called ‘friend’.

Pulling you a bit closer to him, Danny simply shot back, “I know that, because [y/n] taught it to me.” Your face flushed, and you felt like you were going to cry. Why was Brian doing this?

At the sound of your name, Jack turned his attention to you, the smile on his face inviting. But knowing Brian’s ulterior motives caused you to shy away into Dan’s arms. “Oh, you’re th’ lass Brian told me all about. It’s so nice t’ meet you!” he said sweetly, the kindness contagious as you couldn’t help but smile back. After all, you were pretty sure that none of this was his doing.

“Nice to meet you too. Your accent’s so cool, are you really all the way from Ireland?” you asked, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. Besides that, you were genuinely curious, and under any other circumstance, you would have already known everything about Jack, as he seemed like a good person. But the moment you spoke up, there was another, harder squeeze on your shoulder, which made you look up at Dan in mild alarm. “What, I’m not allowed to make friends with anyone?” you found yourself asking, unable to stop yourself from falling right into the messy love triangle Brian had so carefully laid out.

Your simple question seemed to spark something in Dan, because at that moment, he scowled at you and yanked his hand from your body, as if you had suddenly caught fire. “Fine, then! Go fall in love with the handsome foreign kid, see if I care! Just don’t do it in front of me!” he shouted, standing and stomping to the other side of the room so he could whip open his bedroom door. “I want you fucking nerds out of my house! Take your circle jerk study group elsewhere!”

Sensing the red hot anger radiating from the taller man, Jack and Brian quickly collected their things, bolting from the room as fast as their feet would allow. You, however, moved slowly to stand in front of Dan. This was everything you had feared...all that the two of you had built, shattered in an instant because of petty jealousy. Your vision grew misty as you whispered, “Danny...don’t do this...can’t we talk-?”

“I want to be alone, [y/n].” His stern tone cut deep and effectively silenced you. But the next words threatened to smash your heart into pieces as he turned his gaze to the floor and added brokenly, “I think I’ve proven today that it’s for the best.”

You tried with all your might to make eye contact with him again, hoping to somehow make things right. When he refused to look up, you simply nodded, hiding your tears from the other residents as you gathered your things and left his house...this time, possibly for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy...CRAP. It's been so long, thank you all for being so patient! And for that, I reward you with...more heartbreak. I know, I'm cruel, but I swear this is NOT the end! I don't even know how many chapters this thing is gonna be yet, but I'm definitely gonna keep digging into the reader's emotions like a sleazy gold miner. :3c 
> 
> Next chapter won't be months from now, either...I plan to continue this arc a.s.a.p., mainly because I like it so much~ So thanks again for keeping up on my little ficlet with the sassy teenage Danny we've come to know and love. <3


	5. Dance, Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are seemingly back to normal (in the worst way possible) thanks to Brian's meddling. Can things be righted on the night of the school dance? A good friend might be just the ally you need...

The next few days came and went in total silence. You didn’t speak to anyone, even limiting discussion with your parents. There was no way you were talking to Brian after what he had done to you and Dan, your heart twisting in more knots than even his ‘superior’ mind could count. It was no secret that you were bitter, the mere thought of your former friend sending you into a small fit of rage until you’d eventually think of Danny, calm down, and cry.

The following Monday, you were worried that he would stop showing up to school, to avoid you altogether. A sigh of relief nearly slipped past your lips when you saw him in science class, only to be replaced with a breath stealing pang of sorrow when he refused to meet your gaze. Biting your lower lip, you gave a subtle nod before sitting in your seat, hoping that he’d at least continue his studies if he was willing enough to show up in class.

There were a few murmurs around you as people began to notice that “the lovers” weren’t talking before class began, and you fought back the urge to turn to them and tell them to mind their own damn business. No need to add fuel to the fire. “All right, that’s enough chatter!” Mrs. Miller said crisply, walking into the room and effectively silencing everyone. “I know we’re all excited about the upcoming school dance, but let’s try and focus on Punnett squares and genetics.”

Your head snapped up from the blank notebook in front of you. The dance was normally something you wouldn’t be interested in, but this time was different. Or at least, it would have been if Dan was still speaking to you. As you passed back the worksheet for the day, it took everything in your power not to look at him, knowing that he was going to keep up his ‘cool punk’ attitude and pretend like you didn’t exist. But you had an instinctive feeling that he was hurting as much as you.

There was a pause as you still held out the paper for him to take, even shaking it a bit to encourage him to grab it from you. You only got another huff of annoyance, and in that moment your heart reached your shoes. The teacher turned to witness all of this as you silently pleaded with him not to cause trouble.

“Leigh, take the worksheet from [y/n] so we can get started, please. Unless this class isn’t worth your time,” she quipped, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared the tall boy down. It was a challenge, you could feel it, and the worry that he would do or say something stupid increased tenfold. _Please, don’t do this Dan...please please pl-_

“You took the words right out of my mouth.” The bitter tone sent a spike of pain through your heart; he was right back where he started. Just as you had begun to make actual progress with his behavior. Sure, Dan had still been snarky with his parents, but they had always been blissfully oblivious, so no real harm there. But Mrs. Miller had proven time and again that she was a force to be reckoned with.

This reared its ugly head when Danny’s comment seemed to spark a wave of anger in her. “Fine, then. Why don’t you go and waste your own time somewhere else? I don’t have the patience to wrangle you in today.” She then gave you a sympathetic glance and sighed, turning towards the board without another word. But her expression had said it all. ‘Looks like you wasted your time on him, sorry.’

With another huff and the scraping of chair legs on linoleum, Dan snatched up his backpack before slinging it over his shoulder, trudging out of the room without even a single glimpse in your direction. It truly broke your heart, causing you to fight back tears as you sat in your chair. You couldn’t even focus on the lesson, you were so torn apart. Which was why a few minutes after his departure, you swiftly stood and did the same, the teacher calling after you as your feet carried you out the door. Where had Dan gone so fast? Looking this way and that around every corner, you soon realized how fruitless your efforts were, and slowly stopped in the middle of the hallway, slouching against the wall as you waited in silence for the final period to be over. You couldn’t even cry anymore, simply stunned into full-blown sorrow as you calmly listened for the final bell. Is this what heartbreak felt like? Because God, it hurt like hell…

When the bell eventually chimed throughout the school, you collected yourself and stood from the cold tile floor, walking in the direction of the science labs. Mrs. Miller would probably expect an apology for your dashing departure, but it was honestly the least of your frigging worries at that point. You were in front of the door to the advanced Physics lab, staring like a hawk at the group of peers that filtered out of the room. Brian had made one mistake when picking out a new friend and a competitor for Dan; Jack’s hair made him incredibly easy to pick out in a crowd. Making a crazy beeline for them, you reached out and grabbed your ex-friend by the arm so hard and fast he turned in shock to see who had latched onto him so violently. “I hope you’re fucking happy.” It was all you got out before the tears began to prick at your eyes again, and you let go of the vice grip on his forearm in an attempt to run out of the school. Brian shouted after you, but like before, you refused to listen. You were tired of everyone else assuming they had your best interests in mind, tired of them believing that they knew what you wanted better than you did.

Slamming the door open to your home, you were grateful that your parents were still at work, lest you get lectured by more people when all you wanted was to be alone and think. What were you to do about this mess? It wasn’t your fault...at least, it didn’t feel like it was. But in a sense, everyone in this sticky equation was to blame. And if no one else wanted to fix this, then why fight it alone?

Just as you reached your room, your cell phone chimed, and you opened it to see a text from Brian: **Are you okay?**

Sighing in irritation, you punched the buttons as you typed back: **Take a wild guess, you’re the genius.** There was a pause after you sent your reply, with him seemingly typing things and erasing them several times before shooting back a single word response:

**Sorry**

You knew that he was being sincere, but you also understood Brian well enough to deduce what that truly meant. He was so hard-headed and stuck in his beliefs that he was more than likely only saying it for your benefit, when in fact he had hurt more than one person with all of this. And until he admitted to that, you didn’t think you could forgive him. Not this time.

~~~

There was a blur of emotion and excitement in the school as the dance approached, but you were feeling a little less than joyous about the occasion. For one, Dan was back to his old ways in class, while Brian was desperately attempting to make amends with you at every turn. You ignored it all, becoming shut off as you simply came and went from the building, doing the work expected of you and nothing more. It was like you were a shell of your former self, and it worried your old friend to no end. He could see that he had royally screwed up, and something had to be done.

On the night before the dance, Jack approached you by your locker as you hastily grabbed your books, not even meeting his gaze while you shoved your homework into your backpack. “Do you mind? I have a lot of projects due next week,” you said in a deadpan tone. Brian had more than likely made him approach because he believed you’d give the innocent, green-haired boy the time of day. It wasn’t happening.

“Well...I just wanted t’ know if you were going to the dance this weekend is all. If not, we can go. J-Just as friends!!” The last sentence was rushed out in haste by Jack, hands up in a pseudo defensive stance when your gaze finally turned on him, cold and icy enough to chill him to the bone. He really wasn’t thinking of trying anything with you, was he? Because you wanted to make it clear that this would be an extremely poor decision on his part. “Jesus, y’ could freeze a yeti with that stare, [y/n]...”

Ignoring his final quip, you placed your hand on your hip before asking, “Did Brian tell you to ask me to the dance, or something? Because you can tell him-”

“Brian has nothing to do with this. Even I agree what he did t’ you and Leigh was a dick move,” he interrupted, giving you a genuine look of sympathy to show he meant every word. And you believed him because...well, he had been just as much a victim in that mess as you and Dan had been. “Look, I just feel terrible about it, and I don’t want you trudging through this funk if I can help it. So what d’ you say?”

There was a pregnant pause as you pondered his request, wondering whether or not it was a good idea. Finally, you sighed and gave Jack a small, broken smile. “...Sure, I’ll go. But you promise it’s just as friends, right?”

Jack quickly nodded in confirmation. “Totally. We’ll go, dance, have a grand ol’ time. I’ll see ya on Saturday night.” And with that, he left you alone once more, standing at your locker with a bittersweet smile tugging at your lips. It faltered, however, when you remembered something important. “Crap…What the hell am I gonna wear?”

~~~

The outfit you had scrounged up wasn’t terrible, but you still felt a bit awkward in it. For one, you were the last person to be caught dead in a skirt, let alone a full length dress. Not so much because you were “the tomboy threatening to break from the cocoon of khaki pants to become a skirt wearing butterfly”; more so that jeans and the like were easy to wear and went with everything. Less for you to worry about when going out places. Besides, it was high school, not a model runway. The expensive outfits could be left to those who coughed up the dough for that on the daily.

But at the mentioning of going to a dance with “a school friend” your mother had jumped at the chance to take you to a discount store and help you pick one out. It wasn’t all bad, you had found one that seemed like it hadn’t been used much; a calf-length all black number with a small strip of white that trimmed the hem. The sleeves were short, with a moderate cut across the chest that flattered your body rather well. Matched with a pair of simple black flats, you were pretty satisfied with the results, which was a relief considering you really didn’t want to try wearing heels. Giving yourself one final glance in the mirror, you decided on a light pink lip balm and a small dab of your mother’s smokey eyeshadow above each eye. Again, your inexperience led you to doing the bare minimum. 

“[y/n]! Jack’s here!” your mom called out from the bottom of the stairs. After grabbing your matching black purse, which held your phone and money, you moved swiftly down the steps. A kiss goodbye was given to each parent before you headed towards the door, where Jack was waiting with a wide smile painted across his face. 

“You look awesome,” he said kindly, taking you by the hand as you allowed him to guide you out the door. Your father made a remark about not being out too late before you walked down the front path and turned in the direction of the school, chatting casually with Jack about the newest horror game and how terrifying it was.

“I swear, when the zombie boss turned the corner in that abandoned warehouse-” Your sentence cut short abruptly when the two of you entered the gymnasium. The walls and bleachers were decorated in various lights and balloons, with a DJ spinning popular songs on the makeshift stage built in the back of the room. Two other tables were set up to your far left, laden with snacks and beverages for the kids and supervisors to enjoy. But that wasn’t what had caught your attention.

Standing off to the left of the dance floor...was Danny. With _Brian_ of all people standing with him and just...talking. Sure, Dan’s expression was a little stiff and he was clearly chatting if only to be nice, but no swings or punches were being thrown. That was a good sign...right? N-no, no. Something was still wrong with this picture. Why was Dan here?! Not only that, but he had actually dressed up for it. He was in a black tux, his trademark leather jacket hanging casually over his shoulder with his wild hair tamed back into a messy man-bun. You had been so certain that he’d want nothing to do with the “lame” school dance, and yet - 

“It’s about time you guys got here. I was starting to think that you two nerds were jackin’ me.” Danny’s words were harsh, but the smile he shot your way said it all; he was at that dance for _you_. Because Brian had arranged it and Jack had acted as the double agent to get you out of the house. Turning to look at your friend, the shorter male shot you a wink and thumbs up, adjusting the tie on his tux before walking away with Jack following close behind. And just like that, you were alone...with the love of your life. “You look beautiful, by the way.” It was a kind and simple statement, but it still had your stomach doing backflips as you shamelessly gawked at the handsome young man in front of you.

So many words flitted through your mind on what to say; how to make things better between the two of you and start getting back to where you had been with him. Were there words to explain how you felt in that moment? A flurry of emotions passed through your heart and chest; nervousness, elation, despair, adoration. Each with their own unique string of dialogue that could help right all of this. “Danny, I-” Your words were cut off almost abruptly when he smirked and leaned forward, pressing his lips tenderly to yours as he simply held you there, swaying slowly to the music that filtered through the crowded room. But in your mind, there were only two people on the planet at that moment. 

“I’m sorry.” The words were quiet and broken as you parted from him, dark chocolate eyes shining against the soft lights that surrounded you. It took a moment for you to realize that it was him that had said it, and not yourself.

“N-no, Danny...I’m sorry that we argued over something so stupid. Whatever insecurities we may feel, we should be able to talk about them together. I love you too much to lose you over petty jealousy.” Your cheeks flushed as you realized that you’d inadvertently confessed to him your feelings, but your confidence shone through as you smiled warmly at him. How had it not been obvious to him before? “I-I love you, Leigh Daniel Avidan.”

The smirk that crossed his lips in that moment made one of your own break across your face, and in spite of himself, Dan laughed. Truly and genuinely, in public without a hint of defiance to his outburst. There was even a point where he snorted in spite of himself, but still chose to own it, rather than hastily cover it up to save his ‘reputation’ as the cool kid. Because for once, that didn’t matter to him in the slightest. After calming himself, the punk that had stolen your heart smiled, the kindness and adoration you’d gotten to know so well over the past few months finally making itself known. “I love you too, [y/n],” he replied, a blush of his own creeping over his cheeks as he glanced over to where Brian and Jack were watching. “And I really do wanna say that I’m sorry for being such a bag of dicks and acting all jealous and shit...seriously, I would have broken up with me too.”

That got a laugh out of you, and you shook your head good-naturedly, taking his large palm in your own as the two of you walked over to your other friends; and they were your friends, through thick and thin. Any way you looked at it, you knew it to be as true as your love for Danny. “Let’s just say you owe me dinner and we’ll call it even,” you joked, laughing as you hugged your body as close to him as the chaperones would allow.

“Deal,” Dan replied with a wink, and you felt a familiar heat creep up your neck and cheeks once more as you joined Brian and Jack on the dance floor. The four of you sang, laughed, and danced the night away, and for one blissful evening, you were truly happy. Your heart was at peace, and with your lover and pals by your side, there was no way you were ever letting go again.

~~~

“I had a great time with you tonight,” you giggled softly, holding hands with Danny as he walked you back home. Jack had opted to leave with Brian, considering he didn’t want to get in between “the power couple” as he had put it. Jeez, that would be a fun one to explain to the folks. ‘Yeah, the guy I left the house with? He was just getting me there so I could meet up with my real date, this drug fueled bad boy in the leather jacket.’ Well...technically you were the one wearing the jacket at the moment, which had been Dan’s move the moment you’d left the dance with him wrapped around your shoulder. Resisting the urge to take in the aroma of Dan’s musk and cologne that clung to the cozy material, you walked as close to him as the walkway would allow, fingers intertwined as you discussed future date plans.

“There’s this restaurant that serves really kick ass sushi...b-but they also have regular food if you’re not into that,” he was saying now, the idea of going to the place he had in mind making his face light up like a kid on Christmas. And for some reason, you found that simile quite unfitting for someone like him. Because he was a punk? ...Yyyeah, that would do.

Giving his hand a tiny squeeze, you smiled up at Dan and kissed his cheek. “I’d love to try it with you,” you replied quietly, to which he responded with another toothy grin. Just the thought of being able to see his smiling face again was enough to send your heart in a tailspin. Only it didn’t stop spinning out of control when you suddenly heard your dad barking for you at the front porch of your humble abode. “That...cannot be a good sign,” you muttered, looking from your red-faced father back to Danny, concern written all over your face. But where yours showed worry, Danny’s was all smiles.

“Hey, it’s okay...I’m used to it. I don’t play by your daddy’s rules,” he joked, but his expression was still sincere. “If you think that after all we’ve been through your parents are gonna be the roadblock that ends us, don’t worry. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.” Bending down so your dad couldn’t see, he pecked your lips before giving your shoulder a pat. “Keep the jacket, I’m sure I’ll see you in it again.” And with that, he turned on his heel and made his way home, a spring in his step that you wish you could have matched. But your heart was on an odd roller coaster of emotions as you made your way into the house, your father screaming about “bad influences” while your mother tried to stand up for you. However, you ignored his shouting, opting instead to lock yourself in your room, the jacket from your bad boyfriend still draped around your shoulders as a symbol of sheer defiance.

Dan had said not to worry, that he had things under control. But he forgot one thing; this time, he wasn’t fighting the battle alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, real talk...the beginning of this chapter was sitting on the back burner for...a...WHILE. Kudos to anyone still on the edge of their seat, waiting with bated breath to see if lazy ass me will ever get around to posting ever again. I truly appreciate anyone who's still reading, and believe it or not, this might not be the end! Dunno, depends on if anyone's still interested in this little story of mine. (I also have some other Game Grumps based stories swilling around in my head, we'll see how THAT goes...)
> 
> Anyway, TL;DR, enjoy my latest installment! <3 Love you lovelies!~


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